"You're young, you'll blah blah blah..."

It's becoming increasingly clear, that many people need to get their heads out of their asses when it comes to the younger generations. I can't make any rational decision without getting this line:

I am an atheist/non-theist. = Oh you're young, you'll grow out of it.

I like and would prefer to remain childfree. = Oh you're young, you'll grow out of it.

I like illegal substances, but don't smoke or drink. = Oh you're young, you'll grow out of it.

Can't a person be young AND intelligent anymore? Yes...I'm young (according to you)..thank you for pointing that out to me. Not only is it dismissive, offensive, and ignorant to assume that my being 21 (or whatever age, it doesn't really seem to matter) means I have no life experience or no intelligence to make life choices, it's also quite annoying.

Now I'm not saying that my generation is the smartest bunch ever (that's clearly not the case), but I am saying that using age as a barometer of how wise/intelligent/experienced a person is, won't apply to all "youths". I could be the wisest mofo on the planet, and you've dismissed me because you deem me to be "young" (which incidentally makes you an ahole in my eyes).

What is being young anyways? What is youth? This short window of opportunity, to make stupid choices and to learn from them without much responsibility? To be naive to the ways of the world? And considering the definition of naive, I know I'd rather not be that..especially if that's what being "young" means. And who has authority to use such a line anyways? Isn't someone always "young" to someone else, no matter their age? My mom is young compared to her mother and father, I'm young compared to all my siblings, and my nieces and nephews are young compared to me.

When does the cycle of ageism and youth discrimination end? (not to sound..melodramatic, lol)

Replies to This Discussion

Just let it roll off your back. You will change or won't. I knew from 16 I would always be a childfree atheist. I'm almost 42 now, and I'm still a childfree atheist. It really doesn't matter what other people say -- I think that is the biggest lesson of age. Eventually, you "really honestly truly" stop caring one little bit what anyone thinks, and when people tell you you'll change your mind someday or regret it, you just smile, shrug, and say "yeah maybe -- could you pass me the salt?"

I've heard the "you'll grow out of it" remark so many times that I've developed a somewhat effective defense against it, not in the nicest fashions but hey, the remark itself is not that friendly so who cares?
Since the person uttering this statement is usually older you can mirror the remark back at them:
"I'll grow out of it? You must be confused, that's what happens at your age."

This is making me remember one of my friends who was a victim of teen pregnancy, carrying her kid around, asking me if I ever thought about having kids, and when I said I didn't want to, saying "that's what they all say, I bet you'll have lots of kids by the time you're 30". I'm 30 now and still childless. I think she mostly wanted me to be as miserable and stuck as she was.

Yes, I agree that it's just a way to distract from the fact that they don't know what the hell they are talking about, and thus can't support the assertions they are making. The moment anyone reaches for an ad hominem attack, that should throw up a red flag to indicate that they don't have any rational basis for their claims.

One of the things that scares me is realizing I'm already more intelligent in some ways (though defining intelligent is... difficult) than a lot of the older adults around me. I've grown out of things they still do, still believe in, etc. Yet they still have that condescending air... I prefer the oldies who take my youth as a chance to help me be awesome. Guidance and pretension are not the same thing.

Whoo! Stupid emails weren't coming in telling me that I had many replies to this thread! From what I see, it seems people need to learn a new line, because this one is tired and worn out. It's almost like an epidemic of "Fougie Says...", to fight the disease known as "youth". This line is more discouraging to me than the (very often used) standby from my mom "Because I said so...".

I agree that it is used poorly sometimes as a blanket excuse that I am right and you are wrong without the need for a legitimate argument. At the same time, as I get older I look back at my younger self and wonder as well. It could be a perspective thing, or they could be using as a passive way of not thinking about the argument.